The creature's barbed tusks dug into the ground and ripped chunks of earth
free. Any flora growing in this instantly turned a deep black as the poison
on the creature brought it instant death.

"It begins!" shouted Mwezi as he fired a volley of fire at the wicked
boar. The volley of flame he issued at the enemy angered the creature. It began
to rush towards John and Cor. John let out a made battle cry as Demonsdeath
emitted a burst of energy. The boar shook his head in confusion as the brutes
ran to attack the villagers. Chaos ensued as man attacked the dregs of the Dark
One's wicked craft. The brutes, with their savage daggers, evilly overpowered
the villagers' wooden weapons. John and Cor would gladly have helped, but were
busied by the creature. Each strike seemed but a tap on the enormous creature.

Sensing that he was of little use, Mwezi Wimbo ran off to assist his people.
After running a short distance, Mwezi notice with great disgust that a brute
was eating a freshly killed villager. Shouting in rage, Mwezi lifter his staff
and buried it in the heart of the feasting creature. Its eyes became instantly
dull and lifeless.

"So tell me about yourself, blondie," Roland stated, bored out of
his mind.

"You must not ask such things," Venes replied cryptically.

"Ach! Come now, lad! Mayhap you will feel more comfortable if I tell you
first. I come from Frivesland, a land far north and west of here. I must say,
'tis quite a bit warmer than this icy terrain. In the spring, the grass be a
brilliant green, and the wind gently blows. The flowers are so bloody bright,
like golden jewels shining in a trove. The Master - I mean Goddess-"

"You may refer to the spirit or spirits that shaped our universe however
you wish, friend, " Venes kindly interruped.

"Aye. Anyway, 'tis a lovely place. I remember back to my youth when Nicholai
was king. I was a stable boy, and a friend of the young prince, Calamon. The
prince and I were so close that he managed ot convince his father to elevate
my status to minor courtier. I ever got a room in the east tower!
"Then old Nicholai died, and Prince Calamon ascended to the throne. Within
a week, Serlatùn began to attack. It was a brief war, but a painful one.
Both sides have tried to forget, I think. The people of Frievesland hailed the
Goddess originally. The people of Serlatùn had three groups: whose who
believe that their ancestors could be spiritual guides, those believeing in
the 'Master,' and a small group still faithful to the Goddess. A very odd mix,
aye? After too much blood was shed, King Calamon initiated a shaky truce with
Wan Lin, the barbarian king of Serlatùn. As they say, only Calamon could
go to Shringla! The capital city of Serlatùn, ye know.
"After this, the two countries agreed to praise the 'Master' as their god.
Around this time, I met a lovely lady who came visiting from the southern part
of Frivesland, from a town called Mayfaër. We fell in love and wed.
"I knew she had some skill with magicks, but I never realized the
extent of her power. One night, after making love, she gladly told me she would
give me a son. I was both overjoyed and frightened. Nine months later, my first
and only son, Cornelius, was born. He and his mother were very close. I often
felt estranged from the lad. We just thought differently. He viewed life in
a completely different way than I. 'Tis rather difficult to describe."

Venes' eyes flickered to the ground, thinking of his Nejz.

Cornelius and John continued to throw bolts of power at the creature, but it
seemed useless. "John, nothing's working!" screamed Cor. John looked
at his lover, and nodded, fearing the worst. John wondered why the brutes had
not attacked him or his lover. But looking at them, he realized: they were afraid
of him. Afraid of his power. They seemed content to attack Roger the White:
he was old and seemed weak. They were, however sadly mistaken.

Centering himself, as he had so patiently taught Cornelius, Roger drew
power and attacked a group of mad brutes that were preparing to kill him. His
amulet was glowing hot. Appearances, Roger thought smugly, are not viewed quite
so well through the eyes of brutes. "Help will come, lads!" shouted
Roger, finishing off another group.

The villagers were not faring so well. Having no war training but hunting,
and no suitable weapons, they were being destroyed. That did not prevent them
from putting up the fight of their lives. For every villager felled, one brute
was felled for compensation. The brutes did have one major weakness: too long
had their wicked lust been repressed. Their need for flesh outbid even their
desire to maim, destroy and kill. This mad, unquenchable thirst for manflesh
had the wicked things of death and disease gobbling up the fallen victims. This
provided the perfect opportunity for the villagers to thrusts the brutes' own
spears through their empty souls.

John and Cor were having more and more difficulty keeping the creature at bay.
It seemed to be growing in resistance to their spells, which were weakening
by the moment. "Cor," John said lovingly, holding Cor's hand, "this
may be our end. And if so, let it be. But do not forget that I love you with
my very soul. Thank you for just being you, my sweet." The human contact
did exactly what was needed: the power of the two was shared and equaled, and
as they gave one last blast of power, they heard...

"...By the spurs pluckd up, the pine and cedar: graves
at my command. `Have wakd their sleepers, opd, and let them forth.
By my so potent art. But this rough magic ... is not useless! Welcome to
the south, the land known as Sior Geimhreadth, my sweet mages of Serlatùn!"
A little man who appeared to be of oriental descent has arrived with a group
of hundreds of monks, it seemed. But no, they were the mages of Serlatùn,
friends of Mahou Ichida. They wore cloaks seemingly made of burlap. They quickly
discarded their attire, and were seem as muscular men in the prime of their
youth, all completely hairless. "Let us now equalize! Chosen ones, join
our power, if you please!" John and Cor nodded, sharing their power with
the mages, and found a middle ground. Completely ready, all mages threw every
ounce they posessed at the creature. It screamed a horrible yell as its flesh
bubbled and fell into the sea.

John and Cor looked at each other, elated at their luck. They hugged tightly.
However, about three thousand brutes were not so happy. They roared louder than
before and attacked John and Cor, along with hundreds of villagers and mages,
whether they had magic in them or not.

"As the years past, Cornelius became stranger and stranger. I didn't know
what to say, didn't know what to do with or about him. So I let his mum
do the work. She seemed more and more frightened as the years went by. She knew
there was something special about him. Something she must keep secret.
"As the new Church became accepted in our land, new leaders emerged: those
of the new religion. First came the most dangerous of them all: The Cardinal.
He is known by no other name. I do not think that even he knows any other names
for him. The Cardinal quickly became powerful, and along with that came madness.
The Cardinal began a crazed witch hunt. It was his duty, he said, as proclaimed
by the Master, to root out all evil magic. For the Cardinal was not gifted with
magic, but with cunning. And those that could overthrow him put him in great
fear. Among the victims of his need for ethnic and spiritual cleansing was my
wife. My friend, King Calamon, warned me of this. I ignored it by drowning myself
in strong liquor. I was dead drunk that afternoon. My wife was out in the meadow
speaking to my only son the evening, and out came the Cardinal, playing the
double role as brutish axeman. I did not want to think that my wife was a witch.
The new church law prohibited it. And I missed the chance to say goodbye. I
even threatened her with a sword!" Roland wiped stray tears from his eyes,
pretending they had not been there.
"But as the Cardinal's power grew stronger yet, another slime came to our
land. His name is Mørkt Servio. And so the Cardinal's power dwindled,
and Mørkt Servio rose to power, slowly overtaking the king. They are
both pure evil: I can see that now!"

Venes suddenly looked quite alert. "I must leave you now," he responded.
"Stay here, where it is safe. I am needed in another part of this circle.
I must tell you of Nejz at another time." Venes went to the oak sapling
and transported himself.